Eli angrily wiped the tears off his face. "Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I was asleep until all the noise you were making woke me up. What are you doing?"
Eli looked around like he suddenly remembered what he was doing. "Well, I'm done makin' noise, so go back to bed."
Grace noticed he was swaying slightly on his feet and slurring his words. "Are you high again, Eli?"
"Yeah I am. So what? I'm drunk too, if it's any business of yours. I figure if I'm gonna be a screw up, I might as well go all the way."
"Eli, shhhh, you're gonna wake up everyone else."
"Good!" Eli was practically screaming now. "Maybe they'll kick me out too. Or, better yet, they can call the cops and have me arrested!"
"C'mon Eli, let's get you back to your room", she said, taking a step forward and trying to sound calm.
"Quit talking to me like I'm a baby, Grace. Oh, I forgot. That's how you talk to everyone you think is beneath you, which is pretty much everyone except your precious teacher."
Before she could stop herself, Grace reached out and slapped Eli hard across the face. For a moment, she thought he was going to hit her back, but then he just turned slowly around and stumbled back to the garage. "Eli, wait. I'm sorry" she called out, but he just shut the door behind him. She stood there for a minute, not sure what to do. Then, she remembered the reason she had come out to begin with. Walking over to the pile of dirt, she bent down to get a better look at the poorly buried object. The moonlight picked up something shining and she could tell it was Eli's guitar. As she reached down to uncover it, to try and somehow save it, she realized there was no way, for Eli had smashed it to pieces before he brought it out to bury it. And, as she pulled the pieces out, one by one so no one would find them in the morning, Grace realized she too was crying, although she didn't know why. She took off her housecoat, put the pieces on it, and carried the bundle back to her room where she hid it in the back of her closet. After washing her hands and splashing cool water on her face, she went back to bed. It was 1:30.
At 3:30, Grace sighed angrily and punched her pillow. Sleep just wasn't happening. There were too many thoughts in her head. Why had Eli done that to his guitar? His music was what made him come alive. And was he right when he had said what he did about her and Mr. Dimitri? And, she sighed again, why did she care so much what he thought and what was going on with him? "Maybe some warm milk will make me sleepy" she thought. When she got to the kitchen, she glanced out the back door. Eli's light was still on. "He's probably passed out," she thought scornfully. All the same, she found herself quietly sneaking out the door and going to the garage. She tapped lightly on the door and was startled when it opened slightly with a creak. Peering inside, she could tell Eli wasn't in bed. "Eli?" she called softly, but there was no answer. Feeling more bold and a little worried as well, she pushed the door open the rest of the way. There, face down on the floor, lay Eli. With panic coursing through her whole body, Grace ran to him.